FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2016

CINCINNATI’S ERIC SILLIES WINS LIFE-CHANGING $500,000 GRAND PRIZE ON DRIVER VS. DRIVER

Sillies’ Driver Concept – Wilson Staff Triton – to Go on Sale at More Than 1,000 Retail Stores Throughout the U.S. on Black Friday (Nov. 25)

“It is amazing to hold the half a million dollars in my hands. This was awesome,” – Driver vs. Driver winner Eric Sillies

Video Link: Eric Sillies Receives $500,000 Winner’s Check on Morning Drive

ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 23, 2016 – A year and a half after sending in his initial application and driver design idea, Eric Sillies (Cincinnati, Ohio) was crowned as the winner on Tuesday’s finale of Driver vs. Driver presented by Wilson. Sillies receives a life-changing grand prize of $500,000 and his driver concept – Triton – becomes Wilson Staff’s newest driver, officially going on sale at more than 1,000 retail and golf course pro shop stores throughout the country on Friday, Nov. 25 (Black Friday). The driver is available for purchase online at DrivervsDriver.com.

“It is amazing to hold the half a million dollars in my hands,” said Sillies after being announced as Driver vs. Driver winner. “I would not be standing here today without Wilson LABS. It’s been an incredible journey, and I couldn’t be happier and more thankful.”

SERIES PREMISE: Wilson Golf issued an open call and declared an unprecedented challenge to develop an innovative concept that could be transformed into Wilson Golf’s newest driver. Driver vs. Driver gave viewers an exclusive inside look at the golf club design process from taking prototypes to reality, at the company’s Global Headquarters in Chicago and its manufacturing facility in Southeast Asia to on-location at various golf events, where PGA TOUR professionals and stars from the world of sports and entertainment tested several of the driver concepts. The series judges – former NFL linebacker Brian Urlacher, former USGA technical director Frank Thomas and Wilson Golf president Tim Clarke – shared their personal perspectives of the Driver vs. Driver experience on Tuesday’s finale before unveiling the winner. Sports broadcaster Melanie Collins hosts Driver vs. Driver.

ABOUT WILSON SPORTING GOODS:

Chicago-based Wilson Sporting Goods Co., a subsidiary of Amer Sports, is one of the world’s leading manufacturer of sports equipment, apparel and accessories. Wilson Golf is a global leader in high performance golf equipment and uses player insights to design products that push golf innovation into new territories. Through its dedication to creating products that enable athletes at every level to perform at their best, Wilson has earned its place as a leader in sporting goods for over a century.

ABOUT GOLF CHANNEL

Golf Channel is a multimedia, golf entertainment and services company based in Orlando, Fla. Serving the most-affluent audience in all of television, Golf Channel – co-founded by Arnold Palmer in 1995 and now part of NBC Sports Group – is available in more than 200 million homes in 84 countries and 11 languages around the world. Golf Channel features more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, including tournament action from the PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour, The Open Championship, Olympics, and Ryder Cup, as well as high-quality news, instruction and original programming. Golf Channel’s digital platforms, headed by Golf Channel Digital, are leading golf digital destinations, delivering unmatched coverage of the world of golf. Fans are able to enjoy 24/7 live streaming of Golf Channel content through Golf Live Extra and NBC Sports Live Extra and select programming is simulcast via SiriusXM’s PGA TOUR Radio. In addition, Golf Channel connects the world to golf through a wide array of digital and lifestyle services including Golf Channel Mobile, a comprehensive app covering golf’s latest headlines, scores and analysis; GolfNow, the world’s largest online tee time booking platform and golf course technology partner, which includes the GolfNow Mobile App, featuring on-course GPS tracking, in-round scoring and game tracking; GolfAdvisor.com, the world’s largest golf course ratings and review resource for golfers, by golfers; a North American network of Golf Channel Academy instructional facilities; and Golf Channel Am Tour, the world’s largest amateur golf tour.

-NBC Sports Group-